


Bless, Curse, Bless: Goro Akechi

by Transient_Reality



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Also Goro is there, This is for me and my friend only, Yusuke is the cutest thing I have ever seen, rip my heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-07-27 20:06:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16226396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Transient_Reality/pseuds/Transient_Reality
Summary: Angel & Crow, Bless & Curse, Yin & Yang. But is the world really so black & white?(MASSIVE spoilers for late-game Persona 5.)





	Bless, Curse, Bless: Goro Akechi

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Goro Is A Theatrical Dork](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16216085) by [AngelicAmal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelicAmal/pseuds/AngelicAmal). 



"This way!"

Following the command of their leader, Joker, the Phantom Thieves, a ragtag group of misfit teens, hurried into the steam-filled room of the ship Palace. This was the dark underbelly of the ship, the part the Shadowy guests in the more posh parts of the cruise ship rarely if ever saw. The walls and floor were constructed of thick, impenetrable metal. Pipes, the widest nearly so large a man could stand inside of them and stretch his arms out comfortably, wormed their way across the ceiling above the kids' heads. It almost appeared as though some massive, filthy tapeworm was inching its way through the ship, boring holes in the otherwise-flawless liner. Industrial lights hung from the ceiling, giving the teens' skin a sickening yellow glow. Steam curled through the air in wisps, pipes emitting it with soft hisses. The loud clash and clang of metal could be heard eerily in the distance.   
The light from the lamps overhead couldn't illuminate the darkest reaches of the room, and shadows clustered in the corners and below the walkways and massive pipes, giving the entire room a dark, forboding appearance.  
The young girl with long brunette hair tied back into a tight ponytail with a glittering band and a golden dove mask paused at the entrance to the room, her hand on the doorway, eyes cautious, as her friends passed her and entered. Her eyes cast over the pipes overhead. She had a bad feeling.

Seeing her friends trot further into the room, she tried to brush the feeling aside as anxiousness at the task ahead of them, but the feeling needled and clawed at her stomach as her footsteps clanged and she followed them inside.

The group was tired, Angel could see it in them. Their faces remained for all the world determined and steadfast in their goal, but she could see exhaustion in the way their shoulders slumped and their breathing was ragged. Even Skull, seemingly full of boundless energy, was holding his pipe weakly in his hand as he trotted after Joker. 

Angel worried.

Her worries mostly centered upon her best friend. She allowed her blue eyes to travel toward her friend. The girl had her hood drawn over her face, so it was hard to determine her facial features, but Angel knew Priestess' eyes must have been clouded with worry. It would be the same worry they had been clustered with for weeks now, ever since they had determined the boy she was in love with was a spy.  
Angel's heart ached for her friend. Her eyes traveled from the rich navy blue cloak of her friend's back to the wide shoulders and slim hips of Fox. She knew she couldn't blame Priestess for her worry, for the deep, powerful hope the girl had that everything would be alright, that her love would return to them, completely unharmed, that everything would turn out to have been nothing but a misunderstanding. For Angel knew she would be feeling the same were it her in that situation and Fox were the subject.

As the group entered the room, Angel in the rear, she saw Joker suddenly skid to a halt and gaze around as though he had heard something. The rest of the group followed suit, and when they did, she heard a sound she hadn't been able to detect over the pounding of their running feet- the sound of a very calm pair of footsteps padding over the pipes overhead.  
She barely had time to react, however, as the group turned to see a lone figure standing atop the pipe directly above their heads. Angel felt herself let out a soft gasp.

The immediate impression of Crow's outfit might be that he looked like the member of a marching band. His outfit was certainly garish enough, a brilliant white jacket and pants. It seemed unnatural, unnervingly clean and bright in the sickly yellow lights of the undercarriage of the ship, surrounded by the grimy, moist pipes. His jacket had a ring of red around the neck and on the ends of his sleeves, and it was fastened with glistening gold buttons. Gold tassels hung at his shoulders. A red cape fluttered in the steamy breeze of the room.   
Crow peered down the long beak of his mask at the group, and Angel could make out the smug smirk upon his face for just a moment before he dropped, almost lazily, to the floor, catching himself with his palms pressed flat.

He straightened, his smile unfaltering, eyes glittering behind his mask as he took a few steps forward, toward the group. Angel, nearest to him since she had been in the back of the group, backed up a few steps until she felt herself collide with something soft. She turned her head a bit to see Fox glance down at her. His hands came to her arms protectively and he gazed toward Crow again.

"Long time no see."

Crow's voice is calm, but it was a betraying calm, like the unbroken surface of a boisterous ocean: tranquil, but only just concealing the power and life within. Angel felt herself shudder. Fox squeezed her arms gently.

" _You?!_ " Angel glanced to her side to see Skull stepping toward Crow. She reached out and put a calming hand upon her friend's shoulder. Skull gave a single fighting tug against her touch before gritting his teeth and staying still.

"Why's he here?" Oracle, bug-eyed goggles fixed upon her face, said incredulously.

Crow continued approaching Joker, who was standing in the very center of the group. Joker inclined his chin proudly and watched Crow come. He was rigid, though, Angel could see it in his shoulders. He was just as anxious as everyone else. He wasn't as good at hiding it as he thought he was.

Crow stopped, his mouth twitching in some grim humor.

"I'm impressed that you managed to deceive me," he said, though he sounded more bitter than impressed. "It seems I underestimated your abilities. You truly are interesting," he continued, still speaking directly to Joker as though the rest of the group wasn't even there. "Quiet, yet possessing the courage and determination to take action." Crow's voice turns almost wistful. "Under different circumstances we could have been great rivals. Or perhaps even...friends."

"We're already rivals," Joker said calmly. His eyes were, as usual, unreadable behind his mask. 

Angel gritted her teeth. No. That was wrong, that wasn't the right word. Friends. They were _friends._ She peered at Joker, trying to understand the reason behind his choice of words.

Crow laughed. 

"How wonderful!" He said giddily. "You don't allow yourself to be enslaved by such things as human relations or past selves. And so your heart is always free. The exact opposite of mine. To be honest, I'm envious. I wonder why we couldn't have met a few years earlier, Joker."

An understanding seemed to pass between the young men. Angel could see Joker tapping upon his leg with a red-gloved hand, still watching Crow carefully. The air seemed heavy, Angel realized it felt hard to breathe. The entire atmosphere felt like a bubble, full to bursting and ready to break. She wasn't certain she wanted to know what would wash over them all when it did.

Suddenly, Priestess stepped forward, her voice pleading. Angel pulled against Fox's embrace, trying to move toward her friend, to help her, to stop her, but Fox held her firmly. He murmured to her.

"Stay calm."

Angel pressed back against her boyfriend's chest, watching her friend with concern flickering in her eyes.

"Goro...please," the dark-haired girl pleaded. "Please, stop this. We don't have to fight."

Crow had been seeming to avoid gazing in Priestess' direction this entire time, but his gaze flickered to her for a moment before darting away again, almost as though he couldn't bear to look at her. Angel wondered if he couldn't bear to face her, or if he was afraid she was going to make him change his attitude. 

"Akechi..."

Panther's voice was melancholy, quiet and melodically sad, in sharp contrast to Priestess' more frantic pleas. Crow's eyes flashed in an instant from Priestess to Panther. He seemed to consider for a moment before speaking carefully. 

"It's no use talking in hypotheticals," he continued, as though entirely uninterrupted. Angel could see Priestess' shoulders fall and she felt a sharp pang of hurt for her friend. She tugged halfheartedly against Fox's embrace, but he would not relinquish her. "That didn't happen in reality."

"Akechi," It was Queen's turn to speak now, her higher-toned voice pleading with the young man as well, a far cry from her usually composed visage. "Why are you cooperating with someone like Shido? Don't you see what this Palace looks like? His true nature is-"

Crow cut her off sharply. 

"Cooperating?" Crow crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at her. "What are you talking about? I don't care for Shido, or this country. All this is to make Masayoshi Shido...my father...acknowledge me. Then exact revenge on him."

A shock ripped through the assembled group. Angel felt a chill at her core, her eyes widening. She pressed them closed, feeling her breath shorten. His father. Of course. It made perfect sense, after all. Shido was a powerful man. Powerful men had no use for their children. Opening her eyes, she turned her gaze upon Crow, seeing him as though in a new light. 

She felt Fox squeeze her arms slightly before he spoke.

"Shido is your father?" His usually calm, melodic voice upturned in surprise.

"Remember how I said before, how my mother had been in a relationship with some good-for-nothing man?" Crow was speaking bitterly now, spatting the words as though they tasted horrible in his mouth. "So I'm his bastard child. My very existence is nothing but a scandal..."

Angel's eyes flicked toward Priestess. The girl looked haunted behind her masquerade-like mask.

"Goro...," Priestess said weakly, but Crow didn't even look at her, focusing his entire attention upon Joker. 

"My mother's life turned for the worst after she had me," he continued, and Angel thought she could detect a feeble hint of a shiver in his voice, as though he could hardly bear what he was saying. "And died. I was a cursed child for her, too."

"That's horrible," Panther breathed, and Angel bit her lip.

'Horrible' wasn't quite the word for it, but she found herself at a loss as to what would possibly adequately describe the pit in her stomach at Crow's words. She had had it bad enough, they all had, but to live a life like Crow's...she couldn't even imagine. Her heart ached with pity. 

"I resented him, but he was already a high-ranking official by then. A kid like me could do nothing. But...," suddenly, a smile broke across Crow's face. Angel felt herself recoil at the sight. This was not the smile she had wished upon him for so long. This was _wrong,_ deranged in some way, as though something had pushed Crow to his breaking point and something within him had snapped. She stepped back further into Fox's embrace and his arms settled around her chest protectively. "That's when it happened."

Crow threw his arms to the side jubilantly and tilted his head toward the ceiling as though embracing the heavens. 

"That's when I learned about the cognitive world!" he said gallantly. 

As he continued speaking, he lowered his arms and clenched his fists, as though fighting back some uncontrollable power surging through his veins. His eyes were wide and wild, and Angel realized at that moment what she was seeing. 

She was seeing a fractured man. She was seeing a man who, like a mirror, had been thrown to the floor and shattered, and had to hastily reassemble himself. Pieces were irregular, returned to incorrect places. Some were missing forever, so the final product looked like only a haphazard recreation of the original, whole being. 

"Someone, be it god or demon, gave me a chance!" Crow said joyously, and Angel gritted her teeth. "I couldn't contain my laughter!"

The group as a whole, save for Angel and Priestess, moved into a defensive stance, Fox hastily pressing Angel behind him protectively. 

"You son of a..." Skull growled, raising his pipe, all exhaustion from earlier wiped from his features. 

Crow continued to speak, his voice low and dangerously calm.

"Who cares? My targets were all doing the same damn thing in this eat or be eaten world. All I did was remove their evil from society. How is that any different from the Phantom Thieves?"

"We're not murderers!" Panther snapped.

Finally, Angel found herself blessed with the ability to speak. She had been searching for the words this entire time, the words to tell Crow that he was _wrong,_ wrong about himself and wrong about them, wrong about the world around them and what the Phantom Thieves had been doing all this time. Finally, she spoke.

"You know that's not true, Akechi," Angel said carefully, keeping her voice level as she stepped out from behind Fox, who watched her carefully. Angel saw Crow turn toward her, and she nearly lost her nerve at the sight of his wild, violent eyes, but she gritted her teeth and continued. "The Phantom Thieves' goal is only to restore things to how they were before. We never aimed to murder anyone."

It was true. In fact, she added in her head, the people around her were likely the _least likely people she had ever met_ to actively wish harm upon another person, let alone their death.

"So what?" Crow tossed his cape back over his shoulder and snapped at her, making her take an injured step backward. Fox's eyes flashed at Crow and Angel could tell he would like nothing better than to berate the brunette man for upsetting Fox's girlfriend, but Fox remained silent as Crow surged on. "Masayoshi Shido is finally within my grasp! Once he reaches the apex of his power and acknowledges me, I'm going to whisper in his ear...I will tell him the truth of who I really am!" He spread his arms menacingly toward the group. "And that's when I-an utter disgrace to the world- will rule over him. I WILL PREVAIL!"

"What a warped thought."

Angel gazed toward Fox. Her boyfriend was gazing at the floor, his voice quiet and sad.

"It's almost pitiable," the navy-haired boy said.

"Goro...," this was Priestess, her voice uneven and shaky with the tears flickering in her eyes. Angel felt a deep sorrow flit around her heart like feathers when she gazed toward her best friend. She would have moved toward Priestess, but decided it would be better not to ignite the situation with the sudden movement. Instead, she stayed put and tried to offer her support through her gaze. "Goro please...you're wrong. You're not a disgrace at all. You're-"

"SHUT UP!" Crow snapped, rounding on her, fury etched into every line of his face so fiery and fierce it was terrifying. Priestess shrunk back, trembling, a few shocked tears rolling down her cheeks. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW?"

"I...," Priestess stuttered, clearly feeling trapped. "I just..."

"In a few weeks," Crow continued, turning toward Joker again. "My plan would have come to fruition. But no, you just _had_ to interfere!" He pointed at Joker, clearly seething with anger. "I can still take it back, though. I'll just need to kill you all."

Angel felt something deep an instinctive within her shudder when he said the word "kill." It was one of those words you never state aloud, especially toward another person and _definitely_ not with any sort of intention. But with the fiery fury in Crow's eyes, she heard the word and believed that he believed every single word he said. 

"Hmph," Mona, the black bipedal cat with the yellow scarf around his neck, tched. "We won't get killed for something like that. You talk big, but you're really nothing more than a little kid throwing a temper tantrum."

" _Don't lecture me, you piece of shit,_ " Crow snapped. "I am going to personally thrust Masayoshi Shido into a living hell. So Joker...rest easy and _die._."

"Think you can really do it?" Joker challenged. Angel wondered how he could be so calm, even teasing, at a time like this. 

Crow took a deep breath that inflated his chest proudly.

"Yes. I'll do it better than you could have ever imagined. That is, once I get rid of you."

"You sure sound confident," Skull said, baring his teeth. "But don't go pressin' your luck." 

Angel bit her lip against a sudden swell in her heart that baffled her so much it nearly knocked her over. What was this feeling? After a moment of thought, she realized. Affection.

She was feeling such a rush of affection for these people around her. Their strength, their courage, their determination in the face of adversity, their refusal to ever give up. She felt so much affection and love for each and every one of them at that moment, that she almost believed they were going to come out of this situation unscathed. 

Almost.

"We already know all your tricks from back when you were workin' with us," Skull continued. 

"Joker," Crow said teasingly. "How could you be so successful while having such an idiot as your partner?" 

Crow tilted his head and smirked slightly in Skull's direction. Angel could see anger rise so quickly within Skull that she almost imagined she could see steam rising from his collar. 

"Huh?" Skull growled. "Quit bluffin'!"

"It's no bluff," Queen's voice was calmer behind her metallic mask. "If he truly is behind the mental shutdowns, he's likely only shown us a fraction of his strength." Her eyes never left Crow as she spoke, as though trying to calculate just what secrets he was hiding there.

"I'll tell you all about my true power," Crow said with a chuckle, "while you die. You can take that knowledge with you to the grave."

He gestured easily, almost lazily, with his arm, and two Shadows appeared in a burst of inky ooze behind him. 

"Kill them!" he commanded, eyes flashing as he glared across at Joker.

"Mona. Queen. Angel," Joker said quickly. "You're with me. Everyone else, stay back."

"No."

Joker turned in surprise to see Angel standing with her arms folded, watching him, defiant.

"No? What do you mean, no? This isn't a game, Angel."

"I know exactly what it is," Angel said, her eyes flashing as she glared past Joker, right at Crow. "I'm _not_ going to fight you, Goro."

"Are you... _pitying_ me?" Crow howled, stomping toward the girl. "Don't be ridiculous. You'll need all the help you can get to defeat me!"

"I _said_ no," Angel said, shaking her head, her ponytail swinging back and forth. "I only fight those that are evil, Goro, and you...you are not evil."

"Heh, suit yourself," Crow said with a shrug. "I'll just kill you last."

Joker sighed and his eyes flashed to Fox.

"Alright, Angel, I get it," he said. "Fox. Get in here."

"Right."

As she watched her boyfriend move to join the fighting party, Angel kept her arms crossed, feet planted firmly upon the ground. She had meant what she said. Nothing about the things he had said convinced her he was an evil person. She had fought evil people, had fought a mobster who extorted and blackmailed people into giving him money, even a man who (to her chagrin) slipped _actual poison_ into the medicine he sold to make his customers sick so they would come back to buy more medicine. In all of those cases, she had seen the true malice, the true evil behind their actions. These people did these horrible things for their own selfish gain, and while Goro was doing horrible things, things she could never (and would never try to) excuse, she couldn't shake the feeling that she could see the humanity behind his actions.

After all, she reasoned with herself, if Goro couldn't be seen as human because of his actions, then she might as well not be considered human either. The truth was, she understood Goro. She understood just how easy it would be to fall down that path, to become so enraptured with the idea of exacting revenge upon someone who had wronged you on such a fundamental level, who had taken away parts of your humanity against your will. She understood him because she herself had been tempted by those same ideas. 

So she would not fight him, for that would make her the worst of hypocrites.

"The mental shutdowns aren't the only incidents people are talking about," Goro said, that insane smile still plastered upon his face, the shadows standing obediently behind him. One was like a large white lion with a metallic serpentine tail and the other appeared to be like a traditional Japanese warrior with a white outfit. "There are also the breakdowns which cause people to turn psychotic, creating accidents and scandals...those cannot be explained unless the true culprit has the power to make people's hearts psychotic."

Crow was sneering, and Angel caught movement from the corner of her eye. Priestess had edged her way behind the battlers and to the older girl's side. Angel reached for her hand and took it, squeezing it gently. Crow laughed.

"That's right!" he said gleefully. "It's my power! One you _don't_ have." He sneered in Joker's direction.

"He's gonna try something," Oracle said, her voice cautious. 

"Allow me to SHOW YOU!" Crow's voice cracked as he called out. "PERSONA!"

As Crow's mask disappeared from his face with a flash of bright blue light, a shadowy Persona appeared lingering in the air behind him. It was a thin creature with long, braided hair, thick thighs and long, knee-high boots. It carried a sharp staff with spikes jutting from the ends. As it appeared, the two Shadows standing behind Crow suddenly seemed to turn mad with anger, their forms darkening to shadows like the Persona. 

"That's not...Robin Hood," Priestess murmured beside Angel. "What is that Persona?"

A soft gasp escaped Angel as the Shadows darkened behind Crow and she squeezed her friend's hand tightly. The Persona behind Crow fades, but the effect on the Shadows remained. They began to snarl and claw at the ground, eyes flashing as they gazed toward the teens.

"What _was_ that?" Oracle said, horrified. "That wasn't Robin Hood, could it have been a different Persona?"

"Even the feeblest existence can gain tremendous power," Crow was saying easily, lazily, as though this fight were nothing more than a tea party to him, "once the chains on its heart are broken. You'd better not underestimate these two."

With a snobbish chuckle, Crow stepped back from the battlefield, his body disappearing into the shadows. He was still there, still watching, however. Angel could feel his eyes watching her, watching all of them.

"What did Akechi _do?_ " Oracle said, sounding frustrated. "The enemies are way stronger now!"

Without hesitation, Joker hopped into the fight, eyes determined. Angel watched Yusuke's back and squeezed Priestess' hand gently. She turned to gaze at her friend. Priestess had pressed her free hand over her chest and, teary-eyed, was watching Crow standing right on the other side of the fight. She couldn't imagine what her friend was feeling at that moment. She let her eyes slip over to Yusuke, who was in the middle of swinging his katana at the lion-like Shadow. The Shadow roared and swung its tail around to smash it into Yusuke, but the navy-haired boy blocked the blow with his sword and a grunt. Angel flinched with the impact and wondered how she would feel if it were Yusuke in Goro's place and her in Amal's. 

She followed Amal's gaze toward Goro again and bit her lip. This was nothing like the Goro she remembered.

~Not So Very Long Ago~

It was a quiet afternoon in Yusuke’s apartment. The young man was curled on the couch, his legs twined with those of his girlfriend, April. April’s Scottish terrier, Happy, was curled upon a cushion by the window, the sun streaming through the glass and lighting his fur like a halo. He was fast asleep, the breath from his nose gently ruffling the fur below his nose. 

April’s face was alit with her phone’s screen, and across the couch, Yusuke pressed the freshly sharpened end of a pencil to a pad of drawing paper, intensely studying the dog resting across the room and sketching him. He was distracted from his work, however, when April made a soft noise. 

“What are you watching, love?” Yusuke asked, turning his attention from Happy to his girlfriend’s face. Her eyebrows were drawn together in a thoughtful look. 

“Hm? Oh,” April looked up from the screen, her eyes a bit misty and unfocused for a moment before she answered. “Well, they’re having a guest speaker at my school tomorrow and I decided to look into him a bit. I’m watching one of his interviews online and…well, to be frank, he’s talking about the Phantom Thieves. But I don’t really like what he’s saying.” 

“Oh? Who is it?” 

“Some ‘fabulous’ detective named Goro Akechi.” 

Yusuke slapped the drawing pad down on his knees, making Happy jump a little in surprise. April blinked across at him. 

“What? Am I missing something?” 

“We are very much aware of Goro Akechi,” Yusuke said, tilting his nose up a bit and looking offended. “And the horrible things he’s been saying about us. He is influencing the public against us.” 

“Because so many people believe the things he says,” April nodded. “I understand now. But I don’t really get it? He’s just a high school student. No matter how good of a detective he is, can he really have that much of a draw on what the public thinks?” 

“Think of it this way, love,” Yusuke said, setting aside his drawing pad and speaking carefully. “Imagine if I were a famous painter, yes? I created lovely, breathtaking portraits that people all across the country adored.” 

“You already do create breathtaking art, but continue.” 

“Thank you. Anyway, you were a massive fan of mine. Suddenly, a group of, let’s say, art critics, begins saying that the art of several major artists is not as good as most people think, that there is something fundamentally wrong with it that people cannot see because the public at large is blind to it. And I, on the other hand, this idol you so cherish, begin telling my beloved fans not to listen to this group of critics, that they are simply stirring the pot and making a lot of noise. Whom would you be more inclined to believe, myself or these apparently troublemaking critics?” 

April blinked at Yusuke for a moment before smiling and gently touching his face. 

“You’re right, of course. Still,” she leaned back against the couch again and made a face. “I still think it’s too much of a fuss. People are too easily influenced by idols and major figures.” 

“Ah, well,” Yusuke settled back to his drawing, eyeing the dogs across the room again. “Such is the way. That only means our job is all the more important, yes?” 

The next day, April tugged her backpack onto her shoulder and exited her classroom, making her way down the marble stairs of her high school toward the auditorium. The hallways and stairways of her school were much quieter and more refined than that of your average high school, as hers had significantly less students due to the thin margin of acceptance. 

She loved her school, however, because despite the air of brilliance and excellence that surrounded it, there was also a simultaneous air of modesty and hardworking diligence. There were some snobbish types, of course, as there were bound to be in a school of this caliber, but generally the populace of the school was a group of bright, kind students. She had several friends here, though none as close to her heart as Yusuke’s friends. 

“April!” One of April’s closest friends at the Academy, Fukumi, padded toward April from her music class on the first floor. Fukumi was a Japanese native, a raven-haired beauty with delicate dark eyes and a fondness for satin hair bows. “Are you headed toward the auditorium? I heard they got Goro Akechi to speak today!” 

“Yeah, I heard that too,” April began walking with Fukumi toward the auditorium in the school’s other building. “He’s some big shot detective, right?” 

Fukumi nodded. 

“I guess you probably haven’t heard of him because he’s not as big in America, right?” she chuckled. “He’s amazing, he always solves his cases. Plus he’s super cute.” She giggled. “He’s really smart and he always seems to know exactly what to say, whether it be to make people feel better or to make them laugh. Whatever girl he ends up marrying is going to be the luckiest girl alive.” 

“You guys talking about Akechi-san?” The third member of their group, Haruhi, a bright, bubbly girl with a bleached white stripe in her black hair, joined them, her taut ponytail swaying with her steps. 

“Yes,” Fukumi said. “I was just explaining to April who he is.” 

“Oh, he’s gorgeous,” Haruhi bubbled, her dark blue eyes sparkling. 

“Yeah, I got that,” April chuckled. 

“Don’t mind her, Fukumi,” Haruhi waved April off with a chuckle. “She’s not allowed to say other boys are attractive since she has a boyfriend.” 

The girls chuckled before April spoke again. 

“I was watching some of his videos last night,” she said as they entered the auditorium. “He really doesn’t like the Phantom Thieves very much, does he?” 

Haruhi made a face. 

“No, but why should he?” she said flatly. “Those Phantom Thieves are punks. They just want to cause trouble.” 

“I’m not really sure,” Fukumi said, biting her lip and looking nervous. “I mean, they seem to be doing a good thing and helping people, but we don’t know any of them personally. Who knows why they’re doing what they’re doing, what if they’re only doing it for personal gain in some way, like to make their names better?” 

“You have a point,” April said smoothly, “but if that was the case, why would they keep their names a secret? It seems to me that if they wanted recognition for what they’re doing, they’d reveal their names as soon as possible.” 

The other girls looked as though they wished to continue the conversation, but at that moment the principal, a middle-aged woman named Fukiko with neatly trimmed black locks and severe dark eyes, stepped to the microphone and called for their attention. 

“I’d like to introduce our guest for the afternoon, Goro Akechi-san,” she said, joining the students in a round of applause as Akechi himself took the podium. 

April eyed Akechi carefully. So this was the famous (or, in her terms, infamous) Goro Akechi. She had to admit, they weren’t lying when they called him attractive. He was conventionally handsome, with a sharp chin and wide, inquisitive chocolate-colored eyes. He had shoulder-length brunette hair, carefully brushed and shining, and he held himself with a careful grace yet modesty. 

Haruhi gave a few excited little bounces beside April as Akechi took the stage, and the brunette girl glanced at her, then back at the detective on the stage, wondering what all the fuss could possibly be about. 

“Hello, students of the Academy,” Akechi’s voice was smooth and hinted at a mysterious side. “It is my absolute pleasure and honor to be speaking to you all this evening.” 

A girl in the audience shouted “I LOVE YOU AKECHI” in Japanese and Akechi chuckled. 

Akechi gave a short speech about knowledge and how his studies had helped him with his investigative work, then there was a short period for questions. Immediately the room felt on edge as a microphone was offered to those in the audience. 

“Let’s see…,” Akechi held a gloved hand over his eyes and pointed to someone in the audience. “You. I would like to hear your question.” 

April’s friends bristled as they noticed him pointing right at her, his eyes sparkling. April had had her hand raised calmly in a sea of bouncing and squealing high schoolers, and she calmly lowered it as she accepted the microphone. 

“Akechi-san,” she said evenly, her eyes meeting his. “My question is about the Phantom Thieves.” 

“Aha, as I expected,” he returned into the microphone, his eyes meeting hers just as intensely, as though anticipating a rousing mental joust. “I do not go long without an interrogation about them. What may I answer for you?” 

“What will you do if it turns out you’re wrong about the Phantom Thieves?” April asked her question without letting her eyes stray from his. 

There were a few sharp intakes of breath as all eyes in the auditorium swung from her to Akechi. If the brunette was startled by her question in any way, he didn’t show it, beyond a slight incline of his head and a flash through his eyes. 

“Ah, yes,” he said thoughtfully, as though seriously considering her question. “Excellent question. I suppose the best answer I could give for that is that I honestly hope I am wrong. You see, my current opinion is that the Phantom Thieves are nothing but glorified anarchists, wishing to eliminate those in charge via these ‘changes of heart’ and install what they believe to be their own twisted sense of justice. But I must ask, why is their sense of justice the only one that is correct? What if my sense of justice is correct, and they’re simply a bunch of punks?” 

“That said,” he continued. “I would love to be proven wrong. I would love to discover that they are really good-hearted people truly seeking the best for our country by changing truly corrupt human beings, but the truth is, who has the right to decide that? I don’t believe that right lies within the hands of a small group of people like the Phantom Thieves, which is why I am set to cease their actions.” 

April tapped her finger thoughtfully on her thigh as the questions moved on. Akechi met her eyes for a moment longer before moving on to the next question, and he seemed pensive for the rest of the discussion. 

After the seminar was over, April separated from her friends by saying she had to look into something (which wasn’t really a lie) and pushed through the crowd toward the head of the room and the stage. Akechi was just exiting, and she moved toward him before several officials of the school stopped her. 

“Miss, I’m afraid we can’t let you near the detective,” one of the men said. 

“I just want to-“ 

“Let her through, gentlemen,” Akechi’s smooth voice spoke from behind the men, and they parted to reveal the primly officially-clad form of the detective, who was adjusting his tie and examining April where she stood, something warm and interested in his eyes. “I would like to speak with her as well.” 

April followed Akechi to the backstage area, where a handful of chairs and a sofa sat. Akechi seized a bottle of water from a small table of refreshments before turning to April, observing her over the top of his water bottle. She didn’t like the way he looked at her, as though he were observing her under a magnifying glass. 

“So,” he said softly, setting the bottle down and crossing his arms, a small smirk on his face. “You gave me quite the run for my money with your question earlier.” 

“It was something I needed to know,” April said simply, shrugging. 

“And that is precisely what interests me about you,” Akechi continued. “Tell me, I believe I have seen you before. Forgive me if this is a rather personal question, but are you romantically attached to anyone?” 

“I have a boyfriend, yes.” 

“Would that boyfriend happen to be Yusuke Kitagawa, the former pupil of Ichiryusai Madarame?” 

April was taken aback by his question, blinking a bit. 

“Ah, I see I have startled you. Please don’t look so taken aback, I assure you I have only seen you with your group of friends, and occasionally with Yusuke alone, so naturally I assumed you had a special attachment to him in particular.” 

April blinked, but internally she was on high alert. Akechi clearly was more perceptive than he seemed. If he had noticed and come to the conclusion about her and Yusuke simply by the way they acted around one another, what more was she doing unconsciously that he would be able to detect? She would have to monitor herself more closely whenever she spoke with him from this point on. 

“Yes, I am dating Yusuke,” April said carefully. “May I ask why that is relevant?” 

“I am only wondering if your interest in the Phantom Thieves has anything to do with the fact that your significant other was directly impacted by the actions of the Thieves, this being the fact they changed his former tutor’s heart.” 

April inclined her head, watching him carefully. He simply smiled back. If he was intending to weasel information out of her, she wasn't going to let him.

"My interest in the Phantom Thieves is mine and mine alone," she said firmly, crossing her arms. "After all, how could you expect it to be all over the news, with you on every talk show talking about it, without me taking an interest? If there is interest in the Phantom Thieves within me that is tied to my relationship with Yusuke, it is not even _close_ to my main reason."

She exhaled softly and watched Goro chuckle softly, his eyes dancing with delight. 

"I did not expect such an impassioned speech," he said, reaching to offer her a bottle of water from the table, which she took and drank carefully, still watching him. "Though I appreciate it, thank you. Might I ask, then, what brings you to speak to me?"

April tapped her fingers thoughtfully upon the water bottle for a moment in thought. She felt as though she were in the middle of an intense game of chess with this young man.

"I just wanted to chat a bit," she said finally. "Pick your brain, get an idea about what makes you tick, you know. Things like that. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me, Detective."

"And thank _you,_ miss April," Goro said with a slight bow. "This conversation has been most enlightening."

 

A few days later, the moon was a pearl disc on the water of the seaside as April leaned on the railing at Odaiba Seaside Park. Her eyes traced the streetlights along the bridge stretching away above her head and across the water. Lanterns lit the bottoms of the railing, giving the entire scene a romantic orange glow. She sighed softly and peered down into the waves softly lapping against the land at her feet before tilting her head up to gaze at the pinpricks of stars above her head. 

She closed her eyes as a light breeze rose, gently buffering her hair back from her face. 

"You're here by yourself, miss?"

She was startled by a voice, and her eyes flicked open. She turned her head to see a neatly-dressed brunette young man descending the stairs to join her at the seaside. He was in a brown jacket, neatly buttoned to his chin, and neatly pressed black pants. He had a briefcase in hand, which he set beside him as he leaned on the railing beside her. 

"Oh, hello Detective," she said, turning her head back to gaze out at the water, dismissively. "Can I help you?"

"I was merely wondering if you wouldn't mind my company," Goro Akechi said, gazing out at the gentle waves. "Forgive the intrusion."

April shrugged a bit, leaning forward on the railing. 

"I suppose."

There was silence for a long moment, except for the breeze coming off the water and the soft sound of waves splashing against the edge of the land. Goro spoke.

"I hope you do not dislike me too much, Miss April."

The brunette girl turned her head, surprised, to see Goro gazing at her with a slightly embarrassed smile, a look she was surprised to see upon his usually-confident face. She blinked in surprise.

"Excuse me?"

Goro shrugged modestly.

"I would expect you to dislike me quite greatly. I do spend much of my time being disagreeable about the very people who saved your boyfriend, after all," he said with a lightly embarrassed chuckle. "You would be well within your rights to think me a bad person."

April turned back to the sea and all was silent for another long moment before she replied.

"I don't hate you," she said. "I don't even dislike you. I think you're pleasant enough. I disagree with you though."

"Oh?"

"I think what the Phantom Thieves are doing is right," she said firmly, turning to gaze at him again, feeling the firmness and determination in her eyes. "In fact, I _know_ it's right. They don't mean to hurt anyone, I just know it. They saved Yusuke, and they're going to save others, and I, frankly, don't think it's right of you to fight them when all they're trying to do is help people."

Goro was silent for a moment, seeming to chew over her words, before he responded.

"Miss April, forgive me if this is a bit of a sore topic, but...your father is Mr. Oliver Sands, correct?"

April felt her breath catch in her throat and she coughed a bit to cover it up. She swallowed.

"How did you know that?"

"I am a Detective, miss. It's my job to know things people don't think I know."

She narrowed her eyes at him. 

"Why is that relevant?"

Goro tapped his gloved fingers upon the railing, seeming to choose his next words carefully.

"I wonder what you would think of the Phantom Thieves if they were to attempt to change the heart of your father," Goro said slowly.

April straightened her posture stiffly.

"Why would they do that?"

"Oh, no reason, certainly," Goro said with a pleasant smile. "He seems to be a good man, after all. But it was merely an example. He is an important man, correct? Leader of a pharmeceutical company? Precisely the kind of person the Phantom Thieves would go after...if they had reason to deem him a target." He met her eyes. "I wonder how you would feel then?"

She tilted her chin up in defiance.

"The same," she said.

"Hm?"

"I would feel the same," she continued slowly. "Because if the Phantom Thieves were to choose my father as a target, they are clearly doing it for good reason. They clearly have reason to believe he has done something wrong and needs his heart changed. I would still believe in them."

"And if something went wrong? If they were wrong?"

She gazed at him, fury boiling under her eyes, balling her hands into fists. He seemed to be purposefully being difficult, and enjoying it too, judging by the playful look in his eyes. 

"It wouldn't," she said firmly. "Because I believe in the Phantom Thieves. And nothing anyone, _anyone_ , says will change that."

Goro tapped his finger thoughtfully upon his chin and smiled.

"I see," he said simply. "Interesting. Well, in any case, miss, it is getting late. I should be getting home. Would you like me to walk you home?" 

He offered his hand, but April ignored it, pressing past him and up the stairs. He spoke once more as she began climbing the stairs, making her pause.

"I know how you feel, Miss," he said, making her stop and turn. She was surprised to see some sort of melancholy in his eyes as he watched after her. 

"Excuse me?"

"I know how it feels to be afraid."

~The Present~

April was shaken from her reverie by the realization the fervent activity before her had come to a halt. She saw the Shadows that had once stood before her friends were now vanquished, the group leaning on their knees and panting in exhaustion. Goro strode easily up to stand before Joker again.

"Tch, well done," he said, tilting his head and glaring at the teens with something akin to fury. 

"That power to make others turn psychotic," Oracle said, disbelieving, "he used it on actual _people?_ "

Angel gritted her teeth, flexing her hands into fists once again. This wasn't the Goro she knew, wasn't the Goro Priestess knew. 

"This guy's out of his mind!" Oracle continued.

"Of course I didn't expect you to be defeated by them," Crow sneered. "You have deceived me and escaped death, after all. I wouldn't give up my chance to massacre you with my own two hands!"

"He's coming!" Oracle said quickly. "Brace yourselves!"

"Right. Mona, fall back. Priestess, we need you in here!" Joker barked quickly, before Crow could make a move.

Angel felt her friend flinch at her name.

"Y-You want me to go...fight Goro?" Priestess said, seemingly snapped from her own trance.

"Mona needs time to recharge," Joker explained, pleading with the girl. "Please, Priestess."

Angel could see the hesitation in her friend's eyes. Priestess turned toward Angel as though asking for advice. Angel nodded.

"R-Right," the other girl said, and releasing Angel's hand she stepped forward to join the battlers. 

As she watched her friend join the fight, Angel marveled at her strength. She was able to step forward and help the others, despite the fact it was her very loved one himself that they were fighting. Angel wondered if she would have had that strength if it were her. 

And so, the fight continued. Goro unleashed massive attacks that nearly bowled everyone over, but every time Priestess would answer with a wave of healing, restoring her friends' HP and SP. The group battered away at the brunette man, knocking him back. Angel took a timid step forward, wondering if she could help in some way and feeling furious when her heart held her back. 

"Priestess, you're up!"

Priestess called forth her Persona, Faye, to cast Mediarahan. A glimmer of healthy green light flickered around the battlers, restoring their health and allowing them to rise to their feet once again. Queen, her stamina restored, unleashed a barrage of hits against Goro, knocking him to one knee.

_Look upon this scene. What do you see?_

A voice, deep, melodic and echoing, rang out in Angel's head as she watched the battle play out. She closed her eyes, the better to focus upon it. 

_I see the people I love fighting. Getting hurt._

_You proclaim to seek justice,_ the voice responded. _But I wonder, what is true justice, after all? Who decides what justice is? After all, a wicked king would decide justice for himself is silencing those who oppose him. A good king, on the other hand, would decide true justice is allowing everyone to speak freely. I wonder, then, which is correct? Is there really such a thing as one true, objective justice? Or is it merely an ideal, rather than a truth?_

As the voice of her Persona, Mikya'eng, faded from her mind, Angel shook her head to clear it. Every time the Persona spoke to her, he seemed to speak in riddles. She stumbled for a second, caught her balance against a pipe and cleared her fuzzy brain to hear Amal pleading with Goro.

"We don't have to fight each other!" she was saying, before Goro cut her off.

"DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME!" he roared, summoning his main Persona. Robin Hood towered behind Crow, who unleashed a powerful all-encompassing attack that buffeted all the battlers. Everyone was mowed down, but they all seemed to take the hit well enough after the healing. Fox bounced back up, spry as ever, as did Joker, but Priestess struggled, coughing a bit as she rose.

"Tch. On your knees after one attack? How pitiful," Crow sneered, but Angel couldn't miss the slight look of hesitation behind his eyes when he saw Amal knocked to her knees. 

"C'mon guys, stay focused!" Oracle said supportively, triggering a boost to everyone's stats. Angel silently thanked the girl, who was watching the fight from inside her tentacle monster of a Persona. "You're close!"

"Queen, take a breather," Joker barked. "Mona, get in here!"

Immediately, the small cat leaped forward, replacing Queen in the lineup and blasting Crow with a punishing Wind move, knocking the young man to his own knees. 

"Ngh...dammit," Goro said, dropping to his knees and clutching his torso, clearly in pain. Angel would have felt sorry for him, if she didn't feel so numb already.

"So he's able to turn people psychotic," Mona said, twitching his paws in thought as he watched the sad form of the once-proud detective. "I thought it was something special like the Nav, but it seems to be his own Persona's power." He mused.

"I can't believe that the ability to control and drive others mad was born from within his heart," Queen said, her eyes downturned with regret and something akin to pity for the sad creature before them.

"I'll kill you," Crow growled, struggling to regain his feet and failing, falling to his knees once again. "You're all gonna die!"

Angel looked away, tears flecking her eyes. It was like watching some sick, strained animal. She could see Priestess fighting the urge to cross the space dividing them and help the man she loved and the thought pained her greatly.

"Will you _please_ stop?" Ann screeched, pleading with him. "You're fighting the wrong people! We both hate the same guy! Why do we have to go against each other?"

"She's right, Goro," Angel said slowly, raising her face to gaze across at Crow, her eyes full of pity and regret, even though she had yet to raise a hand against him. "We're friends. We should be fighting Shido together, not fighting one another. That's...probably what he wants."

Queen shook her head.

"Killing us won't make you happy," she reasoned.

"But...I...," Crow was struggling like a cornered animal, on his hands and knees, his limbs trembling.

"This ain't about what Shido says!" Angel was startled by Skull's sudden passionate and believing outburst. "You're your own person! You gotta know that!"

"Dammit!" Crow punched the ground, his head falling dejectedly toward the ground.

"You know," Oracle said slowly, thoughtfully, "Sometimes I think about that fake Medjed that you guys made up. That was the worst trap...but if it weren't for that, I don't think I'd be here right now. Uh..." she seemed to falter for a moment. She had never really been good with deep speeches, especially in front of an audience. "Basically...it doesn't matter where you start over!"

"And...you don't really hate Joker, do you?" Mona said timidly. "That smile before we fought...isn't that how you really feel?"

"Ugh!?"

"Follow your true feelings! Even if you think people hate you or don't want you around, it's-"

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP SHUT UP!" Crow slammed both of his fists into the ground, making everyone jump with the sudden outburst. "Teammates? Friends? TO HELL WITH THAT." 

Crow pushed himself up roughly, but even so, it's evident he can barely keep himself upright. 

"Why...am I...inferior to you?" he said weakly, his shoulders shaking, his arms trembling with weakness. "I was extremely particular about my life, my grades, my public image, so someone would want me around!" He tore at his hair with frustration and dug his nails into his cheeks, shaking his head furiously. "I am an ace detective, _a celebrity!_ "

"Akechi-kun," Haru said quietly, her first statement in the entirety of the clash. Angel can see Priestess falling apart at Crow's words, clutching her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking with sorrow.

"But you," Crow said, directed his venomous words toward Joker, "You're just some criminal trash living in an attic! So how...? How does someone like you have things I don't? How could someone like you be more special than ME?"

"Akechi, you need to stop," Joker said calmly. Angel shivered a bit at the emotion hidden under their leader's words. He was clearly shaken, barely holding his own composure.

Crow threw his head back and laughed. 

"This argument is MEANINGLESS!"

For a moment, Crow's form flickered, becoming something much darker and shadowy, his mask turning ash black, before returning to the spiffy glistening white outfit and red mask he was wearing.

"What _was_ that?" Queen gasped.

"A black mask...!"

"Then, what Kaneshiro said before..."

"So," Queen said slowly. "You _were_ behind the mental shutdowns after all..."

Crow laughed weakly.

"Oh, this is great," he chuckled wickedly. "I'm surprised. This is actually a first for me. I might actually have to try my hardest against you." His smirk flickered around his lips again. "You know...I just came up with a fun little idea. I wonder how far I can go with this..."

Queen's eyes narrowed behind her mask.

"Fun...?"

"You wanted to see my true powers, didn't you?" Crow threw back his head and cackled madly. "Fine, I'll show them to you! I've never felt like this before! You're right!" He turned his head back down to gaze at them all, an insane flash in his eyes. "I don't care about Shido's acknowledgement. All I care about now, IS KILLING ALL OF YOU. TO PROVE I'M BETTER THAN YOU!"

With a horrifying laugh, Crow threw out his arms and a dark ooze of a shadow enveloped him. 

"COME! LOKI!"

The black ooze grew around him, growing out of his very form itself. Red flames flickered around him, consuming him. A tall, willowy figure rose above him, its legs crossed, head in its hand as though bored with the situation. But this time, instead of being merely a shadow, it was fully formed, its body covered in hazardous black and white stripes. It gestured to the teens as though greeting them sarcastically.

"Again! It's that Persona!"

Upon seeing the Persona rise behind Crow, Angel felt a trill of fear run up her spine. Almost without consciously giving herself the order to do so, she found herself moving to Fox. She wrapped her arms around her boyfriend and buried her face into his back, quivering with fear.

"Are you alright, April?" 

Angel lifted her head at the use of her real name and met his eyes through their masks. She breathed softly.

"I'm _scared,_ Yusuke," she said softly. "That...that 'Loki' Persona...that's not him. That's not Goro."

"I'm sorry," Fox said tenderly, brushing her cheek with a thumb and turning back toward Crow. "Please, stay behind me. I shall keep my movement to a minimum."

"Thank you." She leaned up to press a kiss to the back of his neck before backing away, watching the new Persona with terrified eyes.

"What's going on?" Angel heard Noire murmur nearby as Crow's flawless white clothes were swallowed by an engulfing darkness.

"DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH!" Crow barked, throwing his head back and embracing the darkness around him. " _Justice? Righteousness?_ Keep that shit to yourselves! You and your teammates PISS ME OFF."

"He can use two separate powers?" Mona called over the sound of the darkness invading. "Then everything, even his appearance, was a fake!"

"You're going down...I'll destroy you...," Crow mumbled, rocking his head back and forth and clutching it as Loki formed behind him. "GO DOWN WITH ME."

"No way!"

"That bastard...he made himself go psychotic!"

Angel watched, eyes wide with horror, as Crow arose, his body engulfed in a shadowy outfit, his head engulfed in a mask of midnight. 

"NOW, LET'S SEE YOU DROP, ONE AT A TIME, IN FRONT OF YOUR PRECIOUS FRIENDS!" Crow screeched, leaping forward.

"Dammit! He's lost it! Here he comes!"

"DIE!" Crow shouted as he leaped toward Joker. "I WILL KILL YOU! DESTROY YOU! CRUSH YOU! TEAMMATES ARE NOTHING BUT TRASH!"

"His Persona's power is unknown...! Everyone, stay on guard!" Oracle barked, but she couldn't disguise the worry in her voice. 

Joker, thinking quickly, issued orders.

"Panther, get in here. Priestess, sub out!"

"What? Why? You need me, you're hurt-"

"You can't fight him like this," Joker cut her off, his eyes solemn. "Sub out. Take a break."

Seeing the conviction in his eyes, Priestess relented, stepping back to join the others behind the battle lines. Angel watched her friend carefully, moving closer to her and gently pressing a hand to her shoulder, her eyes soft. She watched a storm raging behind Priestess' eyes, unsure the other girl even knew she was there. Regardless, she rested her head upon her friend's shoulder and watched the battle.

Her eyes never left Crow, not even when Fox was hurt. Yusuke could take care of himself, she trusted that. Joker would take care of him. But Goro...he had no one. No one cared for him the way their group cared for one another, and that idea hurt April. What hurt her most of all, however, was that he didn't know enough to accept the help he was offered when he was offered it. He was so broken that every offer of help was either pity, or an attempt to use him. 

Her heart thudded with pity for him, but more than that, a deep, aching sorrow. She wouldn't have admitted it to anyone, but she was starting to worry they wouldn't be able to save him, and the thought terrified her. She had never _not_ believed in her friends before. 

"AGH!" She snapped out of her thoughts to see Goro stepping back, holding his head in pain. "You're just...pieces of shit...who lick each other's wounds! Anything goes...if you say you're teammates!"

The bitterness in his voice ached the wounds along April's heart and she bit her lip. It was just so _sad._

Angel watched Queen smash Crow with a particularly punishing attack, knocking him backwards. She watched him glare at Priestess, finally meeting her eyes after so long of avoiding her. 

"Why are...you...looking at me like that?" he snarled at her. "I've...succeeded until now...all by myself! I don't...need teammates...I don't...need you...PITYING ME!" He sprang back up, but he was growing weary. Angel could see that. She turned away, toward the rest of her friends, squeezing her eyes shut against the sight.

Finally, Joker landed an attack that dropped Crow. Goro fell to his knees with a strangled cry, then fell face-first onto the floor with a gasp. No one moved for a moment, before Priestess cried out.

"Goro!"

Angel reached to stop her, but she was already flying across the floor and dropping to her knees beside the man she loved, pressing a hand to his back. She grabs his arm and helps lift him to his knees, and to Angel's surprise he doesn't stop her.

"You ready to call it quits?"

This was Ryuji. He had his hands on his hips and was gazing upon Goro with a soft, pitying look. He was tired. They all were.

"I know...," Goro said shakily, breathing heavily. "I've had...enough." He lifted his head and gazed toward Joker, but this time his eyes were not filled with any of the wild hatred and pure venom they had been. They were simply exhausted. "You're...so lucky...lucky to be surrounded by teammates who acknowledge you. And once Shido confesses to his crimes, you'll all be heroes. And as for me, people will find out my past deductions were just a charade. My fame and trust will vanish." He laughed softly, bitterly. Priestess touched his shoulder and he didn't try to throw her off. Perhaps he was just too tired to do so.

"I see," Morgana said slowly. "So you were turning people psychotic, and then solving the cases yourself. And you did that with Shido's help."

"In the end," Goro replied slowly. "I couldn't be special."

"That's not true," Ann replied softly, but Ryuji spoke louder.

"Dude," he said, as though he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You're _more_ than special!"

"It pains me to admit," Makoto said slowly, "but your wit and strength far exceeds ours. We only defeated you by teaming up. I was honestly envious of your natural ability. It was frustrating to see how much my sister trusted you."

"I have no intention on forgiving you for what you did to my father," Haru said gently, "but I sympathize with you. I wholeheartedly understand wanting to get back at the adults who took from you."

"We all do," April said simply.

"But when you gained the power to fulfill that desire," Yusuke said calmly, "you only used it for your own self-benefit."

"If you have the ability to use multiple Personas, you probably have the same abilities as Joker," Futaba said. "But because you went through life alone, the power you awoke was fueled by lies and hate. Still, you thought that was enough, right? That part I totally get."

"You excelled at everything over us," Yusuke finished. "But that was the one thing you lacked."

"You've said that teammates are worthless, but Goro," April said gently, her eyes filled with sadness, "you were lonely, all along. You like everyone here and you wanted to be friends with them, you wanted to be their teammate...but your fears and your anger got the better of you."

Goro was silent, staring down at the palms he held against the floor that were keeping him up.

"All right!" Ryuji said, pumping his fist into the air, suddenly excited. "Let's get back and get that calling card ready!" He peered at Goro. "We're gonna take Shido down. What are you gonna do?"

"It'd be a problem if you keep getting in our way," Ann said brightly. "Wanna come along and help us settle things?"

Goro looked from one person to the next as though they were all the crazy ones. 

"Are you all idiots?" He asked incredulously. "You should get rid of me, if you don't want me getting in your way."

"Don't be stupid," Amal said, looking right at Goro, who finally turned to meet her eyes, startled. "You're our friend, Goro. Whether you believe it or not, everyone here considers you someone worth keeping around. We _want_ you here, Goro. Please, come with us."

"We said we're not murderers, Goro," April said calmly, stepping toward the tired boy with a smile. "And we meant that. We're not going to hurt you."

Goro chuckled lightly.

"You are all beyond my comprehension," he said softly.

Suddenly, the group heard footsteps to the left and turned to look. They jumped, startled. 

"Wait, what the-"

"Akechi?" Ryuji said incredulously, gazing from the left and back to Goro, and then back to the left.

"Another one?" Yusuke breathed. "Wait...is he...?"

Sure enough, another Goro was approaching from the shadows. He was dressed in Goro's detective uniform, in a plain brown jacket, snugly buttoned, and black pants. He stopped near the group, a smug smile upon his face.

"That's...Shido's cognitive version of Akechi!"

The cognitive distortion of Goro lowered his gun toward the exhausted boy on the ground being propped up against Amal's legs and chuckled lightly.

"I'll deal with the rest of you later," he said smoothly.

April jumped a little as a green glow spread from Amal's hands. She had called her Persona to help her heal Goro, but April was certain it wasn't going to be enough. She stepped forward, not certain what she was going to do but certain she needed to do _something_ , but stopped when the cognitive distortion spoke again.

"Captain Shido's orders," he said. "He has no need for losers." He sighed as though sorely inconvenienced. "Oh well, this just moves the plan up a little. He was going to get rid of you after the election anyway."

"What?" Goro gasped, flinching at the pain from the sudden movement.

The other Goro shook his head, chuckling at his counterpart's naivete. 

"Did you truly believe you'd be spared," he said, staring down the barrel of the gun as he aimed it, "after all the murders you undertook? Don't tell me-" he laughed. "Were you actually feeling good about having someone rely on you for once?" He cackled and tilted his head. "Oh, and by the way, the captain says it's time you receive retribution for causing the mental shutdowns."

"What the hell, man?" Ryuji raged. "That bastard's the one who put him up to it!"

To everyone's surprise, the other Goro, the one on the floor, simply chuckled. He slowly stood on his shaking legs, squeezing Amal's hands gently before letting go and turning toward the cognitive distortion of himself. 

"I see. I was wondering how he'd protect himself if I used my power to tear through the Palace," he said, his voice eerily calm. Turns out you're how. So he's making a puppet to kill me...sounds like something he'd do."

The cognition chuckled.

"That's right," it said. "I'll do anything. But look at yourself, _you're_ the _true_ puppet."

Goro gritted his teeth. The cognition chuckled.

"You wanted to be acknowledged, didn't you? To be loved? You've been nothing but a puppet from the very beginning."

"You little-" Ryuji started, but he was cut off.

"So...this is what Shido thinks of Goro Akechi," Makoto murmured sadly. "It's...It's too horrible."

"It's not too late!" Haru said quickly. "We can still change his heart together! Even though he's your father...no! _Because_ he's your father!"

"What is all this nagging about?" the cognition snarled in Haru's direction. "Want me to take care of you first?"

As he spoke, there was a roar as four Shadows appeared from black ooze behind him. Ann gasped.

"No!" she said. "He's not alone! He has Shadows too?"

"You know what?" the cognition said snidely. "I'll let someone volunteer to take his place. Who knows, you just might delay his death."

"Damn you...!"

But the cognition just smirked.. 

"You guys are all about doing things for others, aren't you? Oh, that's just the same as me. I'm going to take all the blame for our captain. I'll die for him too."

"This...is what Shido thinks of Akechi-kun, even after making him help with the murders?" Makoto said in disbelief. 

"Here," the cognition said slowly, turning back to the other Goro. "I'll give you one last chance. Shoot them."

The other Goro just chuckled. 

"I was a fool," he said tiredly, leveling his gun at the other group. April's eyes widened in horror. Surely not...!

"Yes," the cognition said, a satisfied smile playing around his lips. "That's the you the captain wishes to see."

"Hoho, don't misunderstand," Goro said. " _You're_ the one who's going to disappear!"

The next instant happened so quickly that April couldn't tell what had happened at first. There were two gunshots, then suddenly, a third, and a red light began to flash in the area.

"The watertight bulkhead door has closed," a professional-sounding female voice was saying. "All personnel behind the partition wall, evacuate at once."

"No, no no no," April began saying, watching as a wall began to rise between both Goros, Amal and the rest of the group. "NO! NO NO NO!"

As the wall settled, April and Ryuji banged upon it, their fists sending out clanging noises echoing off the walls.

"Akechi!" Ryuji roared through the wall. 

Goro spoke tiredly.

"Hurry up and go."

"You fool! Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Yusuke called. 

April looked around, fear rising in her chest like a bubble. "Amal?"

"The real fools...are you guys," Goro was saying. "You should have abandoned me here a long time ago...you would have all perished...if you had tried to face these with me weighing you down."

Goro coughed weakly, and at the same moment Amal crossed to him and placed a hand upon his back, she heard a shriek from the other side of the wall.

"AMAL!"

It was April. She began pounding upon the door with renewed vigor, her hands becoming red and even breaking open in places.

"Amal! You're over there! Oh my god! Are you okay? Amal! Amal oh my god!"

"April," Amal's voice was muffled through the door as April paused abruptly in her pounding. Yusuke, who had been reaching to grab her hands and stop her from hurting herself, paused as well. "I'm okay. The Shadows aren't attacking us...and the cognitive Goro seems to be badly hurt. Just go on without me."

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? I'M NOT LEAVING YOU HERE."

"Please, April, I'll be fine, I swear. I'll just take Goro and get out of here and come back."

There was a hushed conversation between Amal and Goro that April couldn't hear, and she almost started banging on the wall again before Yusuke caught her hands. Joker spoke.

"Amal," he said calmly. "Are you sure you're okay? We can find a way to get to you if we try."

"Joker, you can't be serious! _We have to get her out NOW!_ "

"April," Amal said softly, quiet over her friend's terrified shrieks. "Please...please listen. I'll be fine. The most dangerous things are up ahead. I'll take Goro to LeBlanc and come right back. I promise."

"NO. I'M NOT GOING."

"April, _please trust me!_ " Amal pleaded with her friend. "I'm begging you. I can't leave Goro behind."

"Come on, April. We should trust Amal."

April shook her head against Yusuke's calming tone. Where once she might have been calmed, even placated by his warm voice, instead it only served to make her more upset. 

"Not you too, Yusuke! This is Amal we're talking about! We need to find a way to get her over here!"

"Amal...Akechi-kun," Makoto murmured softly through the wall. "Please stay safe."

“Let’s make a deal…okay?" Goro breathed. "You won’t say no…will you?”

“Why at a time like this..!?” Yusuke said, still holding his girlfriend's fists to keep her from banging on the wall. 

“Change Shido’s heart…in my stead…End his crimes…Please.” Goro's voice could just barely be heard through the solid metal of the door. He was clearly fading fast.

April watched, mouthing wordlessly, furiously, as Joker nodded solemnly.

“I promise.”

“You bastard…!”

The second voice was much rougher and angrier than the other Goro's. April began fighting Yusuke's grip, tears rolling down her cheeks now. 

"No, nonono, no, no, no, please no, God no, stop him..."

“So…” They heard Goro chuckle. “My final enemy is a puppet version of myself…not bad.”

“Akechi-kun…! Amal!”

“Dammit is there no way over there?! Can’t we do something?!” April was delirious with fear. Yusuke had his arms wrapped around her, but not even his calming rocking and familiar smell and body could calm her.

Three shots rang out, crystal clear even through the wall. There was a collective gasp. April let out a mournful wail.

“…His signal…it’s…” Futaba gasped. “He’s still there!”

On the other side of the wall, Cognitive Akechi lay on the floor, lifeless. Amal dropped the smoking gun in her hand, eyes wide with horror.

“A-Amal? Please, please tell me you’re okay. Oh, god...A-Amal!”

“I’m fine, April. We both are. The only one who isn’t fine is Cognitive Akechi.” 

April broke from Yusuke's grip for a moment, pressing her palms to the wall. She could almost feel Amal's palms pressed to the other side of the wall. Amal continued to speak, so close April was certain she was there.

“Please…go on ahead. I promise I’ll catch up.”

“…Alright everyone! We need to take care of Shido! We can’t let a criminal like him run loose!” Morgana gestured for the group to move on with a single paw, and most of the group trekked forward, leaving only April standing beside the wall, Yusuke and Ryuji beside her. Silent tears rolled down her face.

"April, come on," Ryuji said quietly, touching her shoulder. She shook him off.

"No."

"April."

"NO."

Yusuke shared a look with Ryuji, who nodded. With a sigh, he leaned over and scooped April off her feet, carrying her in his arms.

"RYUJI. NO. PUT ME DOWN. I DON'T WANT TO GO. RYUJI SAKAMOTO YOU PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT OR I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU."

Her screams of indignation echoed through the wall, reaching even Amal and Goro.


End file.
